


Sandbox Full Of Rocks

by Anorabug



Category: Steven Universe - Fandom, 더 게이머 | The Gamer (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Existential Crisis, Gamer Powers, Making friends is hard in a dictatorship, Pre-Canon, Pre-Gem War, Reader-Insert, Socially inept MC is socially inept, gem reader - Freeform, gem technology, inspired by The Gamer, just a little though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23656672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anorabug/pseuds/Anorabug
Summary: Congratulations! You died.Start a New Game?
Comments: 46
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

[Your current session has ended.]

[New Game?]

[Y] [N]

You blink.

Or, rather, you blink metaphysically. Because you don’t exactly have eyes right now.

You died. Oh, dear. That wasn’t supposed to happen so quickly. You practically just got here.

Well there’s nothing for it now. You’re in some sort of limbo with a big ol’ text box right in front of you. It’s a black background with chunky, pixelated white letters, like an old text adventure game.

You shrug - Again, metaphysically - and decide that yeah, sure, a “New Game” sounds interesting.

The [Y] option flashes and the text boxes change.

You wonder why you aren’t freaking out right now. You’re in the afterlife and it’s a text adventure game. Maybe it’s because you don’t have any nervous system to speak of, so no stress responses.

Although that doesn’t explain the whole ‘still thinking’ thing.

[Select a world.]

The text box lengthens significantly into a list of familiar titles. All fictional, as far as you knew, but apparently you’re supposed to choose one to - what, play a text-based adventure in?

You scroll through. It’s alphabetical. You stop around the ‘S’ section.

Steven Universe.

Okay, sure. It’s always been a compelling world to you. All hand-wavey aliens and hand-wavey science. Totally permissible, it’s a kids’ show. You liked it anyway.

The title flashes and the text box changes again.

[Choose your species.]

[Gem] [Human] [???]

Clearly the question-mark options aren’t available to you.

Well, it’s not exactly a hard choice, is it? Human is a great option, but you want to spice it up a little. You wonder if you’ll get to choose what kind of gem it’ll be.

The [Gem] option flashes.

[Choose your starting occupation. Note: Your Gem Type will be affected by your selection.]

Another list.

That’s a lot of occupations. They range from fairly vague to oddly specific; there’s Bodyguard, Footsoldier, Servant, Technician, Mechanic, Terraformer, Builder, Pilot, General, Aristocrat, Matriarch, and… Wall? Okay.

Well, you’ve always enjoyed working with your hands. How about Mechanic?

The [Mechanic] option flashes and moves to the top of the box. Underneath it appears more text.

[Customize your Base Stats. Note: Your Gem Type will be affected by your selections. Base stats cannot be changed within your session, but Substats may be altered through EXP gain.]

[Remaining Points: 20]

[STR: - 0 +] [CON: - 0 +] [DEF: - 0 +] [DEX: - 0 +]

[INT: - 0 +] [PER: - 0 +] [CHA: - 0 +] [MAG: - 0 +] [LUC: - 0 +]

Tough choices. The text says this’ll affect what gem you have; maybe you should try and get more info on the options? You’ve played D&D, of course, but maybe they’re different here. You wonder about CON and DEF.

The box expands and shows more text in response to your inquiry.

[CONSTITUTION: General sturdiness and how much damage can be sustained before discorporating. Substats include Hit Points, Stamina, and Recovery.]

[DEFENSE: Resistances against damage. Substats include Weather Resistances, Elemental Resistances, and Attack Resistances.]

Both are definitely important. You can see how they might play into what kind of gem you end up being- and how they can be different. A gem like Peridot, for example, clearly has high CON, but low DEF.

Okay, STR seems pretty self-explanatory. So do INT and DEX. What about PER and CHA?

[PERCEPTION: Ability to gather information and make observations. Substats include Deception Detection, Trap Detection, Loot Gathering, and Discovery.]

[CHARISMA: Responsiveness of other entities to the player. Substats include Deception, Diplomacy, and Friendliness.]

You ultimately have no idea how important CHArisma will end up being, but it’s something to keep in mind. Now, MAG and LUC, those are two that really interest you.

[MAGIC: Affinity towards the use of Gem Powers. Substats include Shapeshifting, Weapon Summoning, and Special Abilities.]

[LUCK: Affects likelihood of success or failure on stat checks, finding better loot, and special events.]

Interesting! A whole category for luck. No substats for it, but it might very well be a make-or-break stat, depending on how it actually functions.

Alright - Time to make your choices.

[Remaining Points: 0]

[STR: 2] [CON: 3] [DEF: 1] [DEX: 2]

[INT: 3] [PER: 3] [CHA: 1] [MAG: 3] [LUC: 2]

The balancing is maybe a bit of a cop-out. You mostly choose what you think will be helpful as a mechanic; Sure, Defense is important, but you’re pretty sure Constitution is more important for a mechanic anyhow. Surviving the beginning is what matters the most, and you think this arrangement will give you a pretty good shot. And yeah, you know that Charisma is a super underrated stat, but it’s not like you know how to use it…

Your chosen stats move to the top of the box underneath your occupation. New text appears.

[Gem Selected: APATITE]

[Y] [N]

Apatite? Makes sense. It’s not terribly rare and has a middle-of-the-road hardness, so not a soldier or a leader, but resilient and practical.

You accept.

It moves to the top of the text box.

[APATITE]

[OCCUPATION: Mechanic]

[STATS:]

[STR: 2] [CON: 3] [DEF: 1] [DEX: 2] [INT: 3] [PER: 3] [CHA: 1] [MAG: 3] [LUC: 2]

That looks about right. You’re pretty happy with your choices so far.

[Choose your perks and penalties. You must pick two of each.]

Oh Great! More lists… But these look important. And fun.

[PERKS]

[Split-Second: Gain a DEX boost when you or someone in level 3+ relationship are in peril.]

[Polyglot: No CHA penalty when communicating with other species.]

[Polymath: Reduced learning time for skills outside of your occupation.]

[Tech Whiz: Reduced learning time for technology-based skills.]

[Anthropologist: PER is increased when attempting to learn history.]

[Treehugger: DEX is increased when traversing planted areas.]

[Loyal Subject: Increased CHA when dealing with superiors.]

[Influencer: Increased CHA when dealing with inferiors.]

[Comrade: Increased CHA when dealing with equals.]

[Enigma: Immunity to prescient abilities.]

[Shelf Stable: Can withstand extended periods of inactivity without skill degradation.]

[Special Interest: Gain Experience more quickly during extended activity.]

[Incognito: Stealth increases when in a crowd.]

[Introvert: Increased INT when others are outside of a certain radius.]

[Extravert: Increased INT when others are within a certain radius.]

[Handy: DEX bonus when handling tools.]

[Chivalrous: Relationships level up more quickly when completing personal quests.]

[Tank: Increased DEF bonus from armor.]

[PENALTIES]

[Under Pressure: INT decreases when in distress.]

[Don’t Meet Your Idols: Begin at a lower relationship level with characters you know.]

[Butterfingers: Decreased DEX when handling tools.]

[Monomath: Increased learning time for skills outside of your occupation.]

[Monoglot: Increased CHA penalty when communicating with other species.]

[Uppity: Decreased CHA when dealing with superiors.]

[High-And-Mighty: Decreased CHA when dealing with inferiors.]

[Outcast: Decreased CHA when dealing with equals.]

[Attention Deficit: Gain Experience more slowly during extended activity.]

[Conspicuous: Stealth decreases when in a crowd.]

[Sleepy: Increased stat penalties when fatigued.]

[Traveling Light: Reduced DEF bonus from armor.]

[Astigmatism: Decreased PER when observing from a distance.]

[China Shop: Increased STR when handling delicate objects.]

Another list appears at the same time. Magic powers! Now that’s what you’re talking about.

[Choose your Special Abilities and Impairments. Special abilities cost points. Impairments return points. Availability is based on Gem Type. Other abilities may be discovered during the session.]

[Available Points: 4]

[Disarmed: Lose up to two limbs without discorporating.] [Cost: -2]

[Reboot: Reform more quickly.] [Cost: -1]

[Phosphoric: Nearby plants grow rapidly.] [Cost: -1]

[Fluorescent: Gem can be used as a light source.] [Cost: -1]

[Pleochroic: Temporarily change color.] [Cost: -2]

[N-Sync: Fusions with other gems provide additional special abilities.] [Cost: -2]

[Roomy: Items can be stored within gem.] [Cost: -2]

[Chompers: Extremely destructive bite.] [Cost: -1]

[Status Report: Scan mechanical objects to analyze and identify issues.] [Cost: -3]

[Swiss Army Knife: Summon a variety of tools instead of a weapon.] [Cost: -2]

[Tacky: Meld objects together on contact.] [Cost: -2]

[Porous: Store and release water on contact.] [Cost: -1]

[Brittle: Gem is more prone to cracking.] [Cost: +2]

[Off-Color: Start the game with one random additional impairment related to gem type.] [Cost: +2]

[Inflexible: Shapeshifting is severely limited.] [Cost: +1]

[Soporific: Additional rest is required to avoid Fatigue stat penalties.] [Cost: +1]

[Extremophobe: Incur more damage from extreme hot or cold.] [Cost: +2]

[Dense: Unable to float on water or other liquids.] [Cost: +1]

[Off-Beat: Fusion is much more difficult.] [Cost: +1]

[Acidic: Deal passive contact damage to organic matter.] [Cost: +1]

[Overloaded: Lose health when severely distressed.] [Cost: +2]

[Torsion: Physical damage causes longer-lasting injury, even after reformation.] [Cost: +2]

Some of these look really cool. It makes sense that they appeared at the same time; they’re pretty tied together.

You consider the options. Some of them are obvious- but others might come in seriously handy, depending on what you end up doing outside of your starting job (because of course you’re going to escape the empire. Who wouldn’t?).

Here’s the question: How much of the universe is organic life aside from Earth? And how much will you be interacting with Earth? Because impairments like Acidic could be a serious issue. 

And how much danger do you plan to be in? If it’s a lot, perks like Split Second could mean life-and-death. But at the same time, you’re existing (at least in the beginning) as a lower-mid-rank gem in a strict hierarchy and you need all the Charisma you can get. 

So that’s the rub with Perks. Will you use them to compensate for your Base Stat weaknesses, or strengthen your strengths? 

To compensate, you decide. You don’t know if you’ll be able to rely on anybody else to cover your blind spots, as it were, so it would make sense to lean towards an adaptive style.

You can only choose two perks. Your Charisma leaves something to be desired, but you don’t necessarily want to stick around in the hierarchical gem society for too long, so you pick Polyglot, on the assumption that you’ll end up with some other sentient race somewhere. And as a deserter… It’s a tough choice, but you decide on Split Second. Your DEX is okay, but you might very well be in serious danger when you escape.

Now for Penalties.

Unfortunately, you need to pick two of those as well. As much as you like the characters from the show and games, you figure you can probably deal with any initial antagonism, so you pick Don’t Meet Your Idols. And you’ve got.. Kind of a problem with authority, alright? So Uppity it is.

Next come Special Abilities, which is the one you’re the most excited about. You wish you could pick ALL of them!! But sadly, only a limited amount of points, given you don’t also pick all of the Impairments. Roomy and Status Report seem like the best options for your playstyle, but you need to balance that with one extra point, so you go with Soporific. Sleep is one of your favorite hobbies, and there’s always someplace to hide away for a nap around big machines.

Okay, no points left unless you take more Impairments.

You know what? You’ll take Torsion. Your CON is pretty alright, and it’s not like you didn't have to cope with injuries before, anyway. And you’re sure you can deal with Off-Beat, since it doesn’t mean you can’t fuse at all, right? Plus, fusion isn’t really that appealing an idea to you. You’re very much an individual.

That leaves you with three extra points to play with. Pleochroic looks like it could seriously come in handy with disguises. Chompers is hilarious- it’s probably a signature Apatite ability, since fluorapatite is found in teeth- so you decide to take it. Why not? You might need to bite something in half sometime.

That’s it. Your choices are made. All of your selections appear in the text box with your stats and the lists collapse.

[APATITE]

[OCCUPATION: Mechanic]

[STATS:]

[STR: 2] [CON: 3] [DEF: 1] [DEX: 2] [INT: 3] [PER: 3] [CHA: 1] [MAG: 3] [LUC: 2]

[PERKS:]

[Polyglot] [Split Second]

[PENALTIES:]

[Uppity] [Don’t Meet Your Idols]

[SPECIAL ABILITIES:]

[Roomy] [Status Report] [Pleochroic] [Chompers]

[IMPAIRMENTS:]

[Soporific] [Torsion] [Off-Beat]

[CHARACTER COMPLETE?]

[You will not be able to alter your character if you continue.]

[Y] [N]

That’s it? No other options?

The rest must be left up to chance.

Where and when will you emerge? What will you look like? Where will your gem be? It’s a mystery. 

But you’re done. No reason to go back now.

The [Y] flashes and everything goes dark except for one final text box.

[LOADING WORLD…]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoy fics that explore video game rules in a fictional setting.
> 
> Yeah, this one is for me. But I hope you enjoy it anyway.
> 
> :)


	2. Chapter 2

First it’s suffocating.

Then it’s hot. Very hot. Very, very hot!! Too hot!!!

You push forward with all of your might, desperate to escape the claustrophobic prison you’ve been shoved into. Your fingers grapple at burning rock and you move, inch by inch. 

Then when you feel you can bear no more… 

With a crack, you burst through the crust of the wall and tumble from your molten hole to the ground.

You lay face-down on the hard ground for a moment, trembling, until you finally gather the resolve to push onto your feet.

You stumble backwards as a flickering text box appears directly in front of your face.

[Happy Birthday, APATITE! You’ve emerged from the crust of the Kindergarten.]

[STATUS:]

[HP: 30] [MP: 30] [EP: 30]

[You feel unsteady on your feet.]

Woah! You didn’t expect to actually be reborn into a new universe- you thought it would just be a text adventure or something, like a post-mortem diversion.

The sounds of falling rock break you out of your thoughts and you turn away from the text box, hopping away from the wall. It dissipates into pixels as you back through it.

Glowing red shapes appear on the wall and, a few moments later, a person bursts forth from each one. Well, maybe not a person, you think absently as they fall to the ground every few seconds. These aren’t humans. Not with their various shades of blue-green skin and the jewels studded on various parts of their bodies. These are Gems. Fresh, newly-emerged Gems. And you’re one of them.

Slowly, each of them stand and glance around at one another. Directly in your line of sight appears another box.

[NEW QUEST]

[SOCIALIZE: Speak with at least 3 of your fellow Apatites.]

[SUCCESS:]

[Friendliness +30 XP]

[Accept?]

[Y] [N]

New quest? Well, it seems easy enough. Plus, you get XP! Somewhat self-consciously, you raise your hand to touch the [Y] button. It flashes and the box disappears. Nobody seems to have noticed.

You look around and spot a gem standing near the wall opposite the holes you all emerged from. You take a breath and approach her, smiling broadly.

“Hi there! Uh… Happy birthday! What’s your name?”

She looks at you strangely. “Uh… I’m Apatite.” Her voice has a pleasant, slightly gravelly quality to it. Now that you think about it, so does yours. You stand about the same height. Her skin is a dark shade of teal with thin cyan streaks. She’s wearing what looks like a jumpsuit with a small blue diamond on the front and her hair is short.

“Wow, what a coincidence! I am too. So do you know where we’re supposed to go?” you ask, looking around. She shrugs. Not a very talkative type, this one. “Okay, well… it was nice to meet you, Apatite! I’ll see you around.”

You turn and see a pair of gems who are exchanging words with one another and you listen in. They’re not really saying much, just introducing themselves by facet and cut. You walk over to them to say hello.

“Hi there. How did you find out your numbers?” 

They look at you. “You mean you don’t know?” asks one of them. “I just kind of had them,” says the other. 

Huh. Well. “Uh… Yeah, sure I know ‘em. Anyway, are you guys excited to find out where we’re going? I bet they’ll assign us jobs or something, right?” you say, trying to be cheerful. 

“Excited?” says the first one. “Yeah, I guess.” The other shrugs.

“Me too! Can’t wait,” you grin. “Alright, nice meeting you guys!”

As you walk away, a box appears right in front of you. You yelp and fall on your behind. Several Apatites turn and look at you. You feel yourself flush. “Uh… Sorry. I tripped.” They turn away. You brush yourself off and read the intrusive text box.

[QUEST COMPLETE!]

[SUCCESS: Friendliness +30 XP]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Friendliness level has increased!]

[LV 2 (x1) XP to next LV: 10/30]

“Uh… What does that change?” you mutter to yourself. The box expands in response.

[Friendliness: Increases chance of relationships leveling up. XP gain: Positive social interaction. Each level grants a 2.5% chance multiplied by base CHA. Current chance: 5%]

Oh. That explains that. Maybe you should have put a little more into Charisma, but there’s nothing for it now… You’re just gonna have to work on leveling up.

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice the other Apatites moving away from their holes and towards something. You turn to look. 

There appears to be some kind of large machine being placed on the ground by a few sturdy-looking gems. A gem that you recognize as a Peridot, with vibrant green skin and distinctively-shaped hair, is holding some kind of tablet and is writing something down.

Upon closer inspection… She’s not wearing limb enhancers! Either she’s been around for a while, or you’ve popped out during Era 1.

You blink, but don’t flinch, when a box pops up in front of you. It’s kind of getting irritating, but you read it anyway.

[LEVEL UP!]

[New Skill Discovered: Deduction]

[LV 1 (x3) XP to next LV: 0/20]

You walk through the box and towards her with your peers.

Her nasal voice rings out. “Apatites of Facet 11A, enter the scanner.”

A few exchange mutters and a few others step forward to enter the machine. The Peridot manhandles them into a line. “Step forward,” she instructs and the one in front goes in. A red bar scans over her body, top to bottom. The gem on her shoulder lights up as the lasers hit it and more focused beams sweep over it. Writing appears on a monitor on the side of the machine and the Peridot scribbles rapidly on her tablet with her finger. She’s not actually holding the tablet, actually- it’s just sort of floating in front of her. Ferrokinesis, you suspect; the show mentioned that Era 2 Peridots didn’t have the powers of Era 1 (at least, they’re harder to access).

[LEVEL UP!]...

“Yeah, yeah,” you mutter, waving the box away. You’re busy watching the proceedings. They’re on the third Apatite at this point and moving fast.

Soon 11A is done and the Peridot calls for 11B. You’re… not sure what your Facet is, actually… 

Hey, maybe the box will help you!

You think for a moment. What command is used to see your character information in a video game?

You try the simplest option first. “Uh… Character?” you whisper out of the corner of your mouth, trying not to attract attention from the silent gems around you. Thankfully, you seem to have gotten it right. A new box pops up.

[CHARACTER]

[APATITE FACET 11E CABOCHON 3A]

[OCCUPATION: Mechanic]

[STATS:]

[STR: 2] [CON: 3] [DEF: 1] [DEX: 2] [INT: 3] [PER: 3] [CHA: 1] [MAG: 3] [LUC: 2]

[PERKS:]

[Polyglot] [Split Second]

[PENALTIES:]

[Uppity] [Don’t Meet Your Idols]

[SPECIAL ABILITIES:]

[Roomy] [Status Report] [Pleochroic] [Chompers]

[IMPAIRMENTS:]

[Soporific] [Torsion] [Off-Beat]

Oh thank the stars, your facet hasn’t been called yet. Speaking of which, what do those codes mean? Obviously they’re related to the spot you came from in the wall, since all of you are from the same Facet number, 11.

You remember that a Cabochon is a smoothed-out way of refining a gemstone, sort of like cutting, and it’s usually done with opaque stones- you take another peek at the Apatite next to you, whose gem is on her hip. Sure enough, it’s opaque, smooth and domed, but sort of square. It’s quite pretty, actually, sort of a mottled teal. She glances back at you and you look away quickly. In any case, you think that the Cabochon might refer to the specific place in the wall, and the letter may be the order you came out in, since you were the first one out of your hole.

Another Level Up notice appears, informing you that you’ve reached LV 3 of Deduction. Spectacular! You must be getting XP just for thinking about stuff, huh? That’s neat.

You perk up when you hear the Peridot call for Facet 11E. You jog forward and line up in front of the machine. You watch the others in line step forward one by one to get scanned.

When you get near the front of the line, you look at the Peridot. “Hey, Peridot. Can you tell me, what are you scanning for, exactly?” 

Her head snaps up. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious,” you smile. In the corner of your vision, a box appears. You don’t turn to look at it, but you can still read the words [Persuasion Check…]

The Peridot looks at you haughtily. 

“No.” 

She turns back to her tablet. You sigh, disappointed. “Okay. Sorry for asking.” [Check Failed.]

You move forward silently until it’s your turn to step in. You stand in the middle of the platform and wait as the lasers scan over you.

You feel something on your left temple warm slightly as the lasers focus on it. Interesting- that’s where you had a birthmark before. You idly wonder if the other Apatites are playing the same ‘game’ as you, and they all have their gems where their birthmarks used to be…

No, you decide, Probably not. But you won’t rule it out just yet. 

The lasers shut off after a moment and your gem cools down. You figure it’s time to step out of the machine. On the other side, your fellow Apatites are standing around, waiting for something. 

You glance around. There’s still a fairly large crowd on the other side and the Peridot looks busy with her tablet. Now seems like a good time to see if you can use any of your Special Abilities yet.

You don’t want to reveal your Pleochroism yet- Maybe all Apatites can use it, maybe they can’t, but unless someone thinks to check, it might end up being the ace up your sleeve. You were curious about the machine, so why not try to use Status Report?

Now how to activate it?

You try thinking real hard. _Status Report. Scan the thing. I want to scan the thing._

No dice. Well, it was worth a shot. 

Maybe you have to say it out loud. “Status Report,” you murmur, looking hard at the scanner. Abruptly a dim greenish light beams from your gem and the machine glows faintly. You and the Peridot freeze as a new box appears.

[STATUS REPORT]

[Target: ?EM SC??N?R]

[Status: ??N???O?AL]

[MP -10]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Status Report level has increased!]

[LV 1 (x3) XP to next LV: 15/20]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Machinery level has increased!]

[LV 2 (x3) XP (x3) to next LV: 0/30]

Your eyes jerk upwards towards the Peridot who appeared suddenly in front of you. “Interesting,” she states. “Apatite Facet 11E Cabochon 3A, step out of line and await further instruction.”

You swallow nervously and walk towards one of the walls of your Kindergarten. That was a bad move. You should have waited until you were alone, but you were so curious, and…

[NEW QUEST]

[PRECOCIOUS: Convince your superiors that you have exceptional talent.]

[SUCCESS:]

[Persuasion +45 XP, Performance +20 XP]

[You will gain more access to resources including better technology. Your [Uppity] status penalty will be reduced by 50%. However, you will be under closer scrutiny and you will start at a lower relationship level with your peers.]

[FAILURE:]

[Your [Uppity] status penalty will be increased by 50%. You may be deemed defective and harvested.]

[Accept?]

[Y] [N]

[OR]

[FLUKE: Convince your superiors that it was just a mistake and you’re not noteworthy in any way.]

[SUCCESS:]

[Persuasion +30 XP, Deception +30 XP, ???]

[You will be less closely monitored. However, you will not have access to as many resources. You may be deemed an oddity by your peers.]

[FAILURE:]

[Your [Uppity] status penalty will be increased by 25%. You may be deemed defective and brought in for experimentation.]

[Accept?]

[Y] [N]

Oh no. Oh no, oh no.

There isn’t really a good option here. One is safer than the other, but…

The crowd of Apatites on the other side of the scanner is quickly shrinking. You need to make your choice.

You grit your teeth, thinking fast. More stuff, but… or less attention…

Ugh. Okay. You’ve made your choice.

You raise your arm and press [Y].

FLUKE might allow you fewer resources, but your goal is to get out of the system, not advance in the hierarchy, which you probably wouldn’t be able to get too far ahead in anyway. The penalties for failure aren’t as bad, either- which is what you want, considering your extremely weak stats in anything Charisma-based. It just aligns with your goals better. 

Choice made, you turn your attention back to the gathering. The last few Apatites are passing through the machine and you spot what look to be Agates- Imposing, stiff-backed and authoritative- separating them into groups and shouting orders.

You hear voices approaching and reflexively stand at attention when you see the Peridot speaking to a blue Agate, the pair of them walking towards you. 

“...as you can see, her gem isn’t anything special, but she’s already managed to activate her scanning ability--”

The Agate holds up her hand to silence the Peridot.

“You, Apatite,” she says sharply. “What did you do?”

You put on a bit of a stutter. “I, I don’t know. I just made the machine glow or something. It was an accident, ma’am.” Shoot. You may have laid it on too thick.

She looks at you appraisingly. The box appears again in the corner of your vision. [Deception Check…]

You wait anxiously, looking between her and the Peridot.

“Hm.” she grunts. “Very well. Go and join your Facet. Hurry up!”

You turn and jog towards what you think is your group, heaving a sigh of relief. [Luck Bonus: Check Successful!]

[QUEST COMPLETE!]

[SUCCESS: Persuasion +30 XP, Deception +30 XP]

[BONUS: Performance +15 XP]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Persuasion level has increased!]

[LV 2 (x1) XP to next LV: 0/30]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Deception level has increased!]

[LV 2 (x1) XP to next LV: 0/30]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Performance level has increased!]

[LV 1 (x1) XP to next LV: 5/20]

Finally caught up to them. You get a couple of glances, but for the most part, you’re ignored. The box notifies you that you’ve leveled up in Swiftness, but you’re not too concerned about that right now.

What matters now is where they’re taking you. And you’re inclined to find out.

[STATUS]

[HP: 30] [MP: 20] [EP: 27]

[You're feeling anticipatory.. But optimistic.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually rolling dice for this story. I'm having fun with it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dice. The Dice.  
> So many dice rolls. So many probability calculations.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the new chapter :)

[STATUS]

[HP: 30] [MP: 20] [EP: 27]

[You’re following your Agate to an unknown location.]

Your gaze passes over the canyon walls your Facet is being led through. The walls are tall and steep, perforated with packed emergence holes. The sheer scale is dizzying- but not as much so as it could be. There are still some spaces of blank wall, in contrast to the snippets of footage of completed Kindergartens you can recall from the show. You make a note to find out how long this place has been used for making Gems.

[NEW QUEST]

[ARCHAEOLOGIST: Find out the age and history of your Kindergarten.]

[SUCCESS:]

[History +35 XP, ???]

[Accept?]

[Y] [N]

Apparently you've started getting used to the boxes, because you don’t visibly react when a new one pops up. It seems like you can make quests for yourself. Interesting! One of the Perks you could’ve chosen implied that other people can give you quests as well.

Well, there’s no time limit, and no consequences for failure - No reason not to go for it. You hit [Y] and the box, which had been following in front of you as you marched, disappears.

More marching. It feels like it's been forever already. You scan around, looking for anything at all to do.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spot something lying around on the ground. It looks like… a tool of some kind? You look back at your group; they’re all facing straight forward, keeping stride with the Agate. You quickly weigh your options and decide that- Yeah, you want that thing, whatever it is.

You crouch down a bit and quickly slip out of line to grab the thing and run right back without looking as you pick it up.

Once you get back into the march, you look down at the thing you grabbed. It’s a tool, all right - Nothing particularly special, just some kind of socket wrench made of a bluish material you don't recognize at all. You tap it with your finger a couple of times and flip it in your hand once or twice, trying to get a feel for it. Maybe you're just stronger now, but it feels lighter than metal. Kinda weirds you out.

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Sneak level has increased!]

[LV 1 (x2) XP to next LV: 0/20]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Loot Gather level has increased!]

[LV 1 (x3) XP to next LV: 5/20]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Tool Handling level has increased!]

[LV 2 (x2) XP (x3) to next LV: 0/30]

Wow. They just give you XP for anything, huh? It’s probably just tutorial stuff to give you an idea what substats are available, but it’s almost insulting how easy this is. You’re sure it’ll get harder after the first couple of levels, though, which could be a good thing or a bad thing - You’re not sure yet. You’ll figure it out eventually.

Speaking of figuring things out, you’re going to have to put this wrench someplace. Does this jumpsuit of yours have pockets?

You pat yourself down, searching for any kind of storage, until you remember - Oh, right. You can put stuff in your gem!

How does that work, exactly? Hm. Well last time you used one of your Special Abilities, you had to say it out loud, right?

You look ahead. Your group is still performing that straight-ahead march. Nobody is paying any attention to the back of the line. No time like the present.

“Ah, Roomy?”

… 

Nothing. This one must be activated differently. Or maybe you just aren’t trying hard enough.

“Come on,” you grit out, “work with me here. Roomy.” You hold the wrench loosely in your hand and focus on your gem. “Roomy. Get _in_ there!”

[Roomy Check…]

Your gem glows dimly and spits out a few pitiful sparks, but...

[Check Failed.]

You sigh and jog to catch up with your group once again. On the off-chance that you’ll be coming back here, you skirt nonchalantly towards the cliff wall and deposit the wrench into one of the holes. Nobody appears to notice.

Better hope you remember which one it was.

The march slows to a stop as you reach the base of a towering spire. 

“All of you onto the warp pad. NEATLY arranged.” Your Agate’s commanding voice echoes off the canyon walls. You walk up the short staircase and step onto the gleaming platform; it’s by far the cleanest thing around here. The surfaces are all smooth and polished, gleaming in the dim sunlight that has made it down this far. It's not the biggest one you've seen on the show, but it still fits the fifteen-or-so Apatites in your facet.

The Agate steps on after you’ve all lined up shoulder to shoulder. Your only warning is her heels clicking together and a sound like ringing glass before you’re pulled sharply upwards in a blinding beam of light.

It’s all you can do not to fall flat on your face upon landing on the second pad.

You shake your tingling arms out a bit and look around.

The walls are short and sharply-angled. Everything has an odd blue tinge to it, including the lighting, but you can see a window nearby. Looking out of it shows you the shining contour of a planet. _Your_ planet. Your eyes widen in awe. Deep gulches are just beginning to striate the crust. Tiny beams of light shoot upwards through the atmosphere, angled towards what you imagine could be different ships.

And that’s where you must be right now- a ship hovering over your planet. The deep humming and high-pitched electrical crackling quietly buzzing beneath your feet clue you in. It’s kind of exciting. Your first time in a spaceship! How cool is that?!

“Keep up,” your Agate snaps. It seems the rest of your group has walked further into the hallway. You hop back into formation quickly and you’re led into a room with a large screen. You fall into a rough standing arrangement with your facet.

The room's dim lighting flickers as the image of a Gem you don’t recognize appears and a silky smooth voice emanates from the eight-faced rock thing projecting the screen.

_“Welcome, new Gems. You have been granted life in the name of your most radiant Diamonds with the purpose of serving and expanding their Empire.”_

Another flicker and the image changes, this time a full picture of the planet you saw outside the window. Or maybe a different planet. You didn’t really get that good of a look, and it’s not like there’s color on the projection... _“You have recently emerged from a Kindergarten in the colony_ TUN-5Z _.”_ The voice that says the planet’s designation is clearly superimposed onto the generic message. 

What a clunky name for the place you were born. Maybe you should call it Tunsz. Yeah, that sounds way cooler. You try to say it out loud, rolling the sounds around your mouth. “Tooh-nn-ss-zzz. Toon-sss-z. _Toonnnsssz_.” Someone jolts you with an elbow and you shut your mouth.

The voice continues, saying this and that about the Diamonds and the colonies and yadda-yadda. Boring indoctrination stuff. You roll your eyes.

_”...As a miniscule part of the glorious Empire, it is your singular life’s goal to perform to a standard of perfection.”_ The screen flickers and dissipates as the final message is spoken in that same silky voice, sharp as a blade. _”We trust that you will not disappoint.”_

Well, that’s not the slightest bit ominous.

It might just have been in response to the thinly-veiled threat, but you feel yourself standing that little bit taller. Small shifting sounds throughout the room clue you in that the others are doing the same.

That’s something you couldn’t help but notice, actually. The other Apatites. 

What’s up with them?

You haven’t exchanged more than ten, fifteen words with any of them, and yet they’re all so… _dry_. 

They’re not like the main cast Amethyst from the show when she first emerged, though. They’re perfectly cognizant; they know what to do, how to act. They just have no enthusiasm, no curiosity, no…

No _personality_. That’s what it is. They know what they’re supposed to do and how to do it, so they have no drive to do or say or think anything else. It’s actively discouraged, as a matter of fact, as you just saw in that little propaganda session. 

It’s- it’s disheartening, honestly. Even depressing. The Gems around you, they have the potential to be fully-realized individuals- but if things go the way they’re supposed to, it’ll be six thousand years at _minimum_ before they really get the chance. If they’re not shattered in the meantime. If _you’re_ not shattered in the meantime.

It hits you like a punch to the gut.

You can be shattered. You can be _killed_. 

As much as this is a world from a cartoon- as much as it’s an actual video game with actual quests and level up screens- you can straight-up die, and you have absolutely no way of knowing whether it’ll stick this time.

You have to deliberately stop yourself from hyperventilating. It’s not safe to do that here. Stiff upper lip.

You remain rigidly upright and stare straight ahead. There are a couple of whispers around you, perhaps the other Apatites saying something about the film, but you're too focused on not having an existential breakdown.

It’s only a couple of minutes before the doors slide open and a new Gem walks in. All eyes turn towards her when she clears her throat sharply.

“Ah- _hem_.”

Oh, Stars. You can tell you’re going to hate her.

Stiff upper lip.

[STATUS:]

[HP: 30] [MP: 15] [EP: 22]

[Existentialism. We’ve all been there.]


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoy this new chapter! We've got a new Gem and a few new... problems.

[STATUS]

[HP: 30] [MP: 15] [EP: 22]

[A new gem has commanded your attention.]

“Ah- _hem_.”

The sound of shifting as your Facet turns to face the door. You’re near-blinded and have to blink hard to correct your vision as the lights snap on.

You look around. There’s only one Gem by the door.

She’s tall. Tall and thin. You almost mistook her for a Pearl, but you soon realize this is not the case.

Her skin is light blue, her hair nearly white as it hangs wispily around her face. The look in her sharp eyes dissects each and every one of your Facet. When they land on you, you barely resist the urge to fidget under her scrutiny until her gaze moves away and she strides down the line.

She lets out a short noise of disapproval when she spots one of your Facet slouching.

The clicks of her shoes echo in the silent room as she approaches the sloucher. You try not to move, but you can’t help glancing over your shoulder to watch.

It hadn’t occurred to you with the Agate or the Peridot, but it’s clear enough to see now that Apatites aren’t particularly tall - this Gem stands easily two heads above any of your Facet, and the way she looks down her nose at the poor Gem in front of her only makes you feel smaller.

It’s not her fault, you realize with a knot in your throat. The sloucher seems to be a little off- one of her legs is slightly shorter than the other, making her tip a bit to the side.

The new Gem’s voice snaps like shattering glass through the silence.

“Defective.”

Sloucher’s eyes widen.

Well, it seems like Sloucher has learned a new emotion. She trembles in her boots as her future is scraped away like scum in a stock pot.

You shudder. There must be a serious surplus if a Gem can be discarded that easily for nothing more than a tiny oddity. You know you’re considered nothing more than a resource, but that awful video clearly wasn’t messing around when it said _perfection_.

You haven’t got a clue what’s going to happen to her. She passed what seemed to be the first round of inspection down there in the kindergarten with Peridot’s device, so she must be totally functional, right? There’s no reason for them to waste time and resources just getting _rid_ of her.

But the empire is cruel. More cruel than you could hope to know after less than a day of existence. Anything could happen to her.

There must be something you can do.

[NEW QUEST]

[COMITY: Save your fellow Apatite from... whatever happens to defective Gems.]

[SUCCESS:]

[Friendliness +50 XP, Increased relationship with Apatite F11E C?, ???]

[FAILURE:]

[You will be considered a traitor and shattered.]

[TIME LIMIT: 5 hours]

[Accept?]

[Y] [N]

Well that ain’t good.

It would appear that your choices are limited to ‘Save someone from an unknown fate and maybe probably die’ and ‘Totally ignore this prompt and live with the guilt forever and ever until something else kills you anyways.’

Damn you, damn this game, damn the afterlife and damn the Empire.

You hit [Y].

The box flickers out of view.

Okay, maybe that was a little hasty. How do you plan on saving anyone while you’re stuck in a spaceship? Because yeah, you’re starting to feel less awed and more antsy the longer you’re here with this unnervingly tall Gem and her thinly-veiled death threats. What sort of Gem is she, anyways?

You feel the tension sweep out of the room with the Gem Of Judgement when she finally reaches the back of the line and walks in long, precise strides back through the door. It seems that no other Gems from your Facet have failed her examination, and for that you (and you’re sure the rest of them as well) are grateful. One is enough - One is too many, actually.

No, you know what? One _is_ too many.

Screw being sad and resigned, you’re now officially pissed. This whole thing is three thousand different kinds of messed up.

You squeeze your eyes shut and take a breath. Don’t give yourself another Quest, gosh darn it, you’re too much of a bleeding heart to ignore the prompts. Save that anger and frustration. Keep it for when you really need it.

Wait, do you have a heart?

Do you have _lungs_? How are you breathing? You don’t _need_ to breathe, right? Does your gem house all of your life functions?

Are you thinking too hard about Gem physiology to avoid thinking about your Quest?

 _No, no, don’t know, yes, yes,_ and _yes_ , in that order.

Well that’s a shame. Can’t distract yourself anymore, you’re too self-aware.

You glance around the room.

Nobody is talking, but you see them looking at one another with a kind of awareness that they didn’t have before. They’re looking at each other - looking at themselves. Nervous, now that they really know how little of a difference it takes for them to be dismissed.

For the most part, you all look very much alike. You remember the Quartzes in the show, the ones who maintained the human zoo - There was a lot of variation in them, their sizes and colors and hair, but mostly the only differences within your Facet are differently-placed striations, like a herd of zebras or something. Maybe that variety was an Earth thing. Or maybe the colonies of Blue Diamond - you frown, looking down at the color of your jumpsuit - are simply better-orchestrated.

You don’t exactly mean to, but you begin assigning nicknames to the other Apatites. One of them has some dots on her cheeks, so she’s Freckles. Another has a thick stripe right across her eyes, so that’s Domino - like the type of mask. One’s got a solid ring around her wrist, so that’s Brace, one more has a jut-out tooth that seems to have been overlooked in the inspection, so she’s Snag. And of course, Sloucher (maybe that one’s sort of cruel, but it’s already cemented in your head, so no changing it now).

The door opens again, catching the attention of all of your fellow Apatites. It’s the Agate again. You never thought you’d be happy to see her, but anything is better than that Gem Of Judgement.

“You’re being assigned shortly,” she says.

Nobody moves.

“Well? Get a move on!” the Agate snaps, turning tail and marching out of the room.

You’re among the first to follow her out and into the hallway, but as the rest catch up you hang back, trying to get into step with Sloucher. She’s staying close to the rear.

“Hey,” you whisper to her, not turning your head. “I’m Cabochon 3A.”

She looks at you. You see a hint of confusion in her eye.

“What do you want?”

“I just wanted to see if you’re okay.” You look at her. She’s staring straight ahead absently. “You know there’s nothing wrong with you, right?”

“What?” She frowns. “Of course there is. I’m defective. Didn’t you hear her?”

“But there’s _not_ ,” you insist. “You’re exactly the same as the rest of us. I couldn’t even tell before that Gem pointed it out.”

[Persuasion Check…]

She just shakes her head. “Maybe you’re defective too.”

[Check Failed.]

“Well,” you cough, “Maybe I am. Don’t tell anyone, I guess.”

Stars. You have no idea what to say that could convince her that she’s normal, let alone how to save her. What’s going to happen if you can’t? Will she get put into a dangerous job? Harvested?... Shattered?

Doesn’t matter. You shake your head slightly. You made a promise - well, assigned yourself a Quest, which is like the same thing but with more consequences. It’s up to you to get her out and safe.

The lot of you pass through one more set of large sliding doors into a big, tall-ceilinged atrium. A projection much like the one that showed the video is displayed in front of a tall, solid seat that the Gem of Judgement from before is seated on. She doesn’t look down at any of you, instead typing something-or-other on the screen. You can’t exactly tell what it is, but you can see part of it through the back, reversed.

You squint, trying to decipher it.

There’s at least one diamond symbol in the things she’s writing… Well, that one’s obvious enough, you suppose. It means Diamond. Or does it mean something else…?

Maybe it could be just Diamond when it’s on its own, but it could be combined with something else, like Diamond Empire or maybe a generic symbol for leadership.

Or maybe you’re overthinking it.

[LEVEL UP!]

[Your Reading level has increased!]

[LV 1 (x3) XP to next LV: 0/20]

Or maybe you _weren’t_ overthinking it. Nice! Does this mean you’re going to learn to read Gemmish at some point?

“Line up,” barks the Agate. All of you shuffle into a sort of grid. “By Cabochon,” she growls. “Mud lumps.” She muttered the last bit, but you’re sure everyone still heard her.

You scowl. _”Maybe if you’d said that in the first place,”_ you say under your breath, hoping it’ll be muffled by the sounds of the others moving around to find their place in line.

[Sneak Check...]

Uh oh.

[STATUS]

[HP: 30] [MP: 15] [EP: 20]

[You may have just attracted some unwanted attention.]


	5. Chapter 5

[STATUS]

[HP: 30] [MP: 15] [EP: 20]

[You just messed up.]

[Sneak Check…]

 _“What did you just say?”_ Agate hisses. Every Apatite freezes.

[Check Failed.]

“I just thought…” you swallow, nearly choking on your tongue, “Thought that maybe you… should have… clarified?”

Nobody moves an inch.

“You thought I should have clarified.” Her voice is low.

“We’re… we’re mechanics, right?” you try for a pacifying smile, but it feels more like baring your teeth at a predator. “We like clear instructions… I think.”

Every eye in the room is on you. The weight presses from all directions.

“Clear instructions. Is that right?” There’s an edge of mockery in her tone.

“Ye-sss?”

[Diplomacy Check…]

There’s a check for _that, too?_

[Check Failed.]

Of course. With the Uppity penalty, there’s no way you even had a chance.

Her heels slamming on the floor as she stomps towards you sounds like a judge’s gavel. You’re already imagining the feeling of a sharp point scraping your gemstone when--

“Agate.”

She turns her head mid-step. “Your Acuity?”

“Bring her here.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Your Acuity… Oh, Stars. She’ll be able to see right through you. There’s nothing wrong with your gem, is there? She didn’t see anything wrong with your form… And she was the final quality check, apparently. 

Well, even if there’s no technical defect, you’ve just made yourself subject to extra scrutiny, this time on a different ground altogether-- just about the worst thing a dictatorship could imagine.

_Sass._

Could you imagine a back-talking screwdriver? That’s what you are right now. It’s certainly what you feel like, standing in front of this Gem. Hardly more valuable than the minerals that made you.

Agate appears to take some hint of pleasure as she grabs you by the shoulders and pushes you in front of the presiding throne. Her… Acuity… waves her off with a casual flick of the wrist, not even bothering to look at her. Agate doesn’t show it, but it must sting her pride to be dismissed offhand like that… 

The screen has been pushed to the side. You try not to meet her eyes as she looms over you.

She reaches toward her abdomen-- you hadn’t noticed before, but right below her diaphragm is a thin, rectangular gem shimmering light blue. It glows for just a moment and something manifests in her hand. Something that resembles tweezers with two convex curves towards the end that meet at sharp points in the middle.

Her arm reaches towards your head, clasping the weapon-- is she going to shatter you? Is this the end? Again? It’s only been a couple of hours!

You squeeze your eyes shut, again anticipating a sharp pain-- but all you hear is a barely-audible _clink_ as something taps your gem. You open one eye and look up at her wrist.

It rotates and you hear another tiny _clink_. She says nothing, face impassive as she brings the thing back towards her and scrutinizes it. A measuring tool?

“Nearly perfect,” she says.

From where she had been manhandling your fellow Apatites, Agate looks over incredulously.

“Puh--Perfect?! My Euclase, she’s clearly defective--!”

“Oh, Agate, has she offended you?” Euclase’s eyes are cold, even as the corners of her mouth tilt upward. “Far be it for your authority to be questioned. No no,” she ushers Agate forward and gestures toward you, “By all means, I will leave you the honors. Break her. Prepare her for harvest.”

Agate reaches for the gem on her throat, but hesitates, glancing up at Euclase.

Euclase’s face falls into cold neutrality once more. “That’s right. Put her back in line. This is not a decision you are qualified to make.”

Agate’s face scrunches up. You take a moment to thank the stars that she’s just _barely_ smart enough to recognize the biting sarcasm. You may not like her, but it would really suck if two Gems were shattered for your one mistake.

“In line,” Agate growls, turning away from the Euclase.

Geez, definitely don’t push your astonishingly good stroke of luck with this one. You hurry towards the empty space in the lineup of Apatites. None of them are looking anywhere near you except Sloucher… Her eyes are wide and she’s biting the inside of her cheek. Nervous for you, maybe?... or more likely nervous for herself. You give her a little smile, hoping to reassure her. No telling if it actually worked, though. At least she’s getting a sense of self-preservation!

Not enough of one to save herself from whatever happens to imperfect Gems, though. Not yet. 

Should you try to convince her? Get her to run away? 

No, you’re not that convincing at all. Maybe if you had a little more time— but the time limit is five hours. How could you hope to deprogram someone who emerged without a distant dream of rebellion in that window?

Well, what else could you possibly do?

… It’s horribly reckless… and she probably won’t forgive you. But all you need is a couple of hours to practice, and you should be able to pull it off. 

It stirs around your head. Find something to train on, get your skill level up. But how will you…

Poof her?

[Status]

[HP: 30] [MP: 20] [EP: 14]

[What’s another bad idea, right?]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! This took a while... and it’s kind of short. Well, I’ll try to keep it coming. :)


End file.
